Did you know that it’s entirely possible to go hiking while being three miles from downtown Birmingham? With 10 miles of biking trail and seven miles of hiking trail, zip lining and other activities, Red Mountain Park is the perfect place to join in on outdoor fun just in time for the warm weather.

Aside from the relaxing view, Red Mountain Park has a huge significance to the history of Birmingham, according to Public Relations Coordinator Katie Sullivan.

The growth of the area coincided with boom of Birmingham after the Civil War. According to Sullivan, the Birmingham was one of the only places in the world where coal, limestone and iron ore—the three essential ingredients for steel making--existed in such close proximity.

Mining communities sprung up around Red Mountain as iron and steel making became the main industry in the city.

According to Sullivan, these communities and the workers in them laid groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s.

Color didn’t matter in the mines, Sullivan said. Black and white workers labored side by side despite living in segregated camps. In fact, the workers banded together in 1890 for issues such fair payment.

“We represent the piece of history after slavery, before Civil Rights,” she said.

Mining business continued to boom in the early part of the 20th century. During World War II, Birmingham produced more than three-quarters of war materials in the South, according to the park’s website.

Mines at Red Mountain eventually shut down in 1962 due to a decrease in demand for domestic iron and steel.

After lying abandoned for more than 50 years, U.S. Steel sold the land to the Red Mountain Park and Recreational Area Commission in 2007 for transformation into an urban park.

What to expect: Visitors have to drive through an industrial park to get to the entrance of Red Mountain Park, but the feeling of being surrounded by businesses fades once inside. Prepare to be completely surrounded by nature upon entrance.

Visitors can also take the Red Ore Zip Tour, zip lining through a series of courses and bridges for $50 per person. The park also recently opened the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, an obstacle course in the sky.

The SkyHy Treehouse and two overlooks are excellent ways to get a good view of the park and the city skyline. Historic mines are also scattered on the property as a nod to the park’s past.

Red Mountain Park is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Red Mountain Park is a place that changes people’s perception of Birmingham, according to Executive Director David Dionne. As the park grows, Dionne expects it to actualize its potential in terms of health benefits and growing industry in the area.

“It’s a place where you can go and learn about the past, you can have great time today and you can look into the future and see as we develop this park the huge impact that it’s going to have, he said.

The coolest thing:Ridge Walk is the park’s hidden gem, according to Sullivan.

Sullivan called Red Mountain’s newest trail “a secret garden.” Much like other parts of the park, it alludes to the mining history of the area.

The ridge that the trail overlooks was manmade as workers’ searched for easy access iron ore, according to Dionne.

“The iron ore stuck out of the ground and they dug it out,” he said. “That was the easy iron to get as they were figuring out how to get into that big blanket of iron ore on the south side of the mountain.”

The trail follows a slight incline with a view of the manmade ridge on one side and a scenic scene on the other. There are plans to make the trail handicap accessible, said Dionne.